Eat. Drink. Repeat. A blog with food and cocktail recipes from Creative Culinary.

Upside Down Pear Crunch Coffee Cake

by Creative Culinary on November 5, 2012

Bread or cake? Sometimes it’s hard to tell, especially with quick breads; except for the pan they’re baked in they often seem to fall closer to the cake group. The items on this document from the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture consider a lot of our everyday baked goods as quick breads – those breads that do not require yeast. The list is long and varied and includes muffins, coffeecakes, scones, waffles, and pancakes. Coffeecakes? Who knew? Although quick and yeast breads are typically categorized because of the leavening agents, all quick breads are just that: breads that can be made in a short period of time and with very little effort. What is there not to love about that? And that is what I loved about this coffee cake. Easy and amazing too. I don’t think I baked with pears until a few years ago and now I look so forward to them showing up in the market each fall. This coffeecake is now officially on the list of why.

Although I love occasionally making a loaf of yeast bread (especially focaccia and challah) I have limited time to be paying attention to rising so you’ll most often see something quicker on this site. I only wish I had the the time to proof yeast and knead and…no I don’t. I’ve never been one to get the joy from that activity that others do; maybe it’s my tendency towards carpal tunnel when kneading which can lead to my hands killing me all night long? Yeah…that must be it!

Elizabeth has partnered with gourmet gift retailer Harry & David for a Seasonal Chef Program. She created three seasonally-inspired recipes including this Upside Pear Crunch Coffee Cake, an easy-at-home recipe which is a fabulous breakfast treat for next Sunday or for your holiday dessert table. I recently received a gorgeous basket of fruit from Harry and David and can attest to the quality of their pears…they are the BEST!

While we struggled a bit deciding how to place the pear slices ‘just right’ it didn’t really seem to matter. What I loved? My daughter and her friend were here and they not only went on and on about the fabulous scent that enveloped them when they walked inside the foyer but were even more taken with the final result. It was simple and stunning. And guess what else? Quick! Really nothing difficult at all but something magical happens at times with a combination of ingredients and this bread is the perfect example. A moist and rich cake (oops, I mean bread) with pears and a brown sugar and butter topping. Umm, umm good!

An upside down pear coffee cake with a brown sugar and cinnamon topping.

Ingredients

For the Crunch:

1 ½ C. demerara sugar or brown sugar

1 t. ground cinnamon

¼ t. ground nutmeg

½ t. salt

1 TB. flour

2 TB. butter

For the Coffee Cake:

2. large Pears, cored and sliced into ½ " slices with skin on

4 oz. unsalted butter

1 C. sugar

2 ea. large eggs

1 C. sour cream

¼ C. milk

1 t. vanilla extract

1 ½ C. flour

1 ½ t. baking powder

½ t. baking soda

1 t. salt

Instructions

To Make the Topping:

Work all ingredients together with a food processor, spatula or your fingers and set aside.

To Make the Coffee Cake:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees convection. (Without a convection oven, baking will take longer).

Cream the butter and sugar together with a spatula or in a mixer with paddle attachment.

Add the eggs and combine to mix thoroughly.

Add the sour cream, milk and vanilla extract and mix into butter and egg mixture thoroughly.

Add dry ingredients just to combine.

To Assemble:

Spray the inside of two loaf pans with vegetable oil or rub lightly with butter.

Sprinkle half of the topping mixture divided between 2 loaf pans. Divide the pear slices lined down each loaf pan on top of the Crunch layer. Divide Coffee Cake batter over the pears in each pan. Finally, divide the rest of the Crunch over the batter in each pan. Bake for 30 minutes until cake is set.

To Serve:

Cool completely, this takes awhile, be patient. Then invert cake upside when cool, slice and serve.

Notes

The recipe I received called for 30 minutes using a convection oven. I'm lucky to have one and because I'm at altitude I increased my temp to 350 degrees. We had to bake this coffee cake for an additional 20 minutes at least so I've indicated a bit longer baking time but please be sure to test with a toothpick; it should come out clean after inserting into the center of the cake.

Well, I completely messed up for this month’s #TwelveLoaves.
I thought the theme for this month was fruit and not specifically apples and pears. My bad.
I made the most incredible cinnamon raisin bread for my submission and now I realize that made it only for my own enjoyment. Boo Hoo. LOL I’ll have to be more careful in the future. That said, I think I’ll still submit it if it’s OK? Do tell.Renee – Kudos Kitchen Most Recent Post: Spicy Cilantro Honey Lime Chicken Thighs

I’m new to your site and cannot wait to search around for more enticing recipes! This one really caught my eye. Adding it to the Thanksgiving menu for sure!Kelly Senyei (Just a Taste) Most Recent Post: Pecan Pie Brownies

Making bread is one of those things that terrifies me. Granted I have a bread machine and have made it a few times but to make a loaf from scratch – not a mix… I swear Barb – y’all inspire me :) I might have to give #TwelveLoaves a whirl.

I have only attempted an upside down cake of any type once and well, it didn’t go so well. I think that’s scared me off from reattempting. This looks fabulous! It may inspire me to give upside down cakes another shot. In the meantime, I can’t wait to start thinking about what I’ll submit for Twelve Loaves this month!Kate | Food Babbles Most Recent Post: Cinnamon Apple Bread with Vanilla Buttermilk Glaze – Secret Recipe Club

I love Chef Elizabeth! I was so hoping she would have won the Next Iron Chef last year. How fun to get to try her recipe, it sounds and looks sooooo good! I totally agree, a upside down cake should be part of the bread group:-) Yum, Hugs, Terra

Well she’s coming back…I like her too…her independent spirit is fabulous and I’ve always loved her wacko cake creations. I don’t miss a lot of the Food Network shows but she and Alton are missed. I like characters!

It was so interesting to read those links about how a coffee cake is a quick bread. I really never knew that. Now to this cake-oh my yumminess! I love the crunch and those pears are perfectly gorgeous. This is really my favorite kind of cake. Great addition to #TwelveLoaves:)Lora @cakeduchess Most Recent Post: Apple Bread Ring-#Twelve Loaves November

Yum this looks really good. I have been wanting to make pear upside down something for a while. I will try this recipe soon!
I actually like making quick breads and yeast breads. Yeast takes longer but its so worth it. I am definitely not afraid of working with it. Just as long as its not a yeast product that I have to deep fry – that I am afraid of. But yeast, flour the rest of the ingredients and an oven? I am all about itShanna@ pineapple and coconut Most Recent Post: Halloween Candy Cheesecake

I like doing both too…I just find juggling the real job and the blog job leave me little time to devote to yeast breads; quick breads work on so many levels…including that quick business! :) Love to have you join us!

The top (bottom) of that bread simply glistens with syrupy sweetness. What a beautiful bread and then to read that it smells ambrosial, I’m sold.Maureen | Orgasmic Chef Most Recent Post: Eat Drink Blog 2012

I definitely consider “quick” breads bread – yeast breads are great, but they’re just one type of bread (admittedly, a very popular one). Anyway, this looks terrific. I enjoyed baked pears, and it’s nice to include them in a nice bread like this. It’s really pretty, too! Good stuff – thanks.kitchenriffs Most Recent Post: The Ward Eight Cocktail

Being a resident of Canada I’m not entering for the book giveaway but had to comment anyway and tell you how wonderful your pear crunch coffee cake looks. I can also imagine how good this would be using apples as well. Thanks for sharing the recipe Barb.Paula Most Recent Post: Halloween Hooters

Must make this for a luscious Autumn brunch!!….Question…I have a husband with an unfortunate aversion to pears…could I possibly sub apples or another fruit?…He loves the crunch part (as do I!)….Thanks so much for sharing this splendid recipe!

I’ve only done it with pears but don’t see why apples wouldn’t work well too. Plenty of time for them to bake in the pan and soften. Try it…and if you do it this month; be sure to come back and share it with us!

This looks great. I always send Harry & David baskets to my grandmothers around Christmastime and wish I lived closer to them to make this recipe. I’ll get started thinking about what to make to join you for Twelve Loaves this month!Holly Most Recent Post: Pear-Ginger Jam

Gorgeous bread! Just lovely. For me, pretty much anything that involves dough I call bread. Yeast or not. Biscuits, cornbread, crackers…whatever…and I love them all. But my favorites have always been quick breads. So fuss free and so tasty. Just can’t beat them.Lana @ Never Enough Thyme Most Recent Post: Carrot-Pecan Quick Bread

See…a woman with a vision that makes this category thing vanish…I like including all sorts of things and I’m also with you on the quick breads. Wish I had the time but I don’t for the longer time required for yeast breads.

I was just thinking the same thing… bread – quick bread – coffee cake and want to make a yeasted coffee cake for Twelve Loaves – when I get my kitchen back! This cake looks just scrumptious and perfect for breakfast. And we need the comfort an fruitiness of this right now. I love it!Jamie Most Recent Post: AN ODE TO MOVING